Battle of Le Havre

The Battle of Le Havre (Winter 1703) was a naval engagement between the United Provinces and France off the coast of France. The Dutch admiral Philips van Almonde and a fleet of four ships had been engaged in a naval blockade of the French trading port of Le Havre since 1701, so French captain Didier Moliere and 4 French ships attempted to break out of the blockade. They deployed in their traditional circling maneuvere, crowding the Dutch ships in the center, but the Dutch took advantage of superior manpower and boarded the French ships. Two of them were captured, and the other two were sunk.

Background
The War of the Spanish Succession broke out in 1701 after King Louis XIV of France placed Philip d'Anjou on the Spanish throne as "Philip V". Threatened by a unification of the two Catholic Bourbon powers, Great Britain, Austria, and the United Provinces formed a large coalition against France and Spain. The Dutch captured the Spanish Netherlands easily that year, and Admiral Philips van Almonde and the Channel Squadron of the Dutch Navy blockaded the French coast.

Cut off from their precious trade assets in Spain and their Caribbean possessions, France was desperate to break out of the blockade. Captain Didier Moliere launched a sortie from the harbor of Le Havre with three Sixth Rate frigates and one brig, determined to push the Dutch out of the port.

Battle
The Dutch admiral Van Almonde attempted to cross the French "T", but the winds slowed down his movement and he was unable to gain the advantage. Eventually, Moliere's squadron was allowed to envelop his men in the French Navy's traditional encircling movement. The Dutch ships, mainly sloops, faced stronger frigates, but they took advantage of their superior manpower on board their ships to launch boarding actions. With less men, the French ships "Robuste" and "Hercule" were captured. With all four ships available against two French ships, the Dutch proceeded to destroy the remaining French fleet. Moliere was captured, bringing an end to the battle and destroying France's Channel Fleet.